expired tags

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Garak
As a matter of historical interest, years ago, in this province, all plates expired on the exact same date. Given this was long before internet payments, you can imagine how much of a mess this was at the SGI offices, with stragglers. Then, it went to expiring at the end of the month, one year after you renewed. Then they brought in shorter periods, but due dates at the end of the month. Now, it's just whenever. The only vehicles that have a set registration period like the old days are snowmobiles.


Massachusetts cured the problem by making the last digit in one's plate number the renewal month. They made oddballs like vanities November and Commercial plates December.

 

[Garak]

That's interesting. Back in the day, before I was driving of course, you'd get new plates every year, rather than stickers. Then they went to stickers, of course, and that got dumbed down as time past. Stickers used to have validation numbers, tiny little things of course, but the police could check them. If an SGI office got broken into, they'd know what numbers went missing, and at least they'd have something tangible when pulling over a vehicle with stolen stickers. Then, they got rid of the validation numbers, and then got rid of the stickers altogether, so a plate has to be run each time, or the person's registration checked.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Then, they got rid of the validation numbers, and then got rid of the stickers altogether, so a plate has to be run each time, or the person's registration checked.


This is weak because if there's a car in the alley across from my house, and it looks derelict, I would have to annoy the cops to find out if it's sitting there on expired tags, and/ or to give them cause to come check it out.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: PumpPusher
When you renew, they use the original registration date. If you expire in January, but don't renew till May, you will still expire January of the following year. The only difference (I think) is if you have expired registration for more than a year, which then they treat if it was first registered when you pay your due. You don't pay any back registration as long as you don't drive. Even then, it is a small extra fee if you need to be honest.


I remember now. Last time I was a bit late cause it was winter time and the boat wasn't getting used. They made me sign a pad asking if the trailer had been on the road. Does that mean they will mail you a ticket if you say Yes?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
This is weak because if there's a car in the alley across from my house, and it looks derelict, I would have to annoy the cops to find out if it's sitting there on expired tags, and/ or to give them cause to come check it out.

Yes, it definitely doesn't help enforcement. Colours of validation tags would alternate by year, too, reg, green, and blue, which would make checking at a glance relatively easy.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: eljefino
This is weak because if there's a car in the alley across from my house, and it looks derelict, I would have to annoy the cops to find out if it's sitting there on expired tags, and/ or to give them cause to come check it out.

Yes, it definitely doesn't help enforcement. Colours of validation tags would alternate by year, too, reg, green, and blue, which would make checking at a glance relatively easy.


It also sets up a situation where they need/ already have the computerized automated plate scanner, which IMO takes the sport out of police work.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Garak
Then, they got rid of the validation numbers, and then got rid of the stickers altogether, so a plate has to be run each time, or the person's registration checked.


This is weak because if there's a car in the alley across from my house, and it looks derelict, I would have to annoy the cops to find out if it's sitting there on expired tags, and/ or to give them cause to come check it out.

Sounds like a non-issue to me. How often does that happen? The convenience of not having to deal with stickers far outweighs that benefit. Not to mention it saves the state thousands of dollars every year. CT got rid of registration stickers about 7 years ago, and I'm glad they did. If you suspect you have a derelict in your neighborhood, you call the cops after it's been sitting for a few days and tell them you think it's abandoned. Cops check it out. Problem solved. Anyway, around here, people pull the plates off their clunker before abandoning it in the street, so stickers wouldn't do any good anyway.

 

[Garak]

If a car gets left on the street for longer than 24 hours, plates or not, it's fair game for tickets or towing.

 

[Nyogtha]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
If the registration sticker on your license plate is expired, do you get the current month when you get a new one? I remember one time I was like 2 months late getting a sticker since I wasn't using the trailer and they still gave me a sticker that was 2 months old already. So if someone doesn't get new tags for 5 years, are they supposed to pay for the past 5 years to be current? Just an example.


In Texas currently, your expiration / renewal month remains the same. see second pareagraph below "Renew Online" at this link.

http://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/register-your-vehicle

Ran across this while renewing my wife's car tags today (due end of this month).

In the old 2 sticker days, the month you passed annual inspection was the month your inspection came due the following year, while the license plate renewal month always remained the same.

 

[PumpPusher]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Originally Posted By: PumpPusher
When you renew, they use the original registration date. If you expire in January, but don't renew till May, you will still expire January of the following year. The only difference (I think) is if you have expired registration for more than a year, which then they treat if it was first registered when you pay your due. You don't pay any back registration as long as you don't drive. Even then, it is a small extra fee if you need to be honest.


I remember now. Last time I was a bit late cause it was winter time and the boat wasn't getting used. They made me sign a pad asking if the trailer had been on the road. Does that mean they will mail you a ticket if you say Yes?


You don't get a ticket, just an administrative fee, like $50 or something tacked on.